


The Stranger in Her Town

by KyloWithAZukoArc



Category: Star Wars, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Action, Action & Romance, Alpha Kylo Ren, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Ben Solo Deserved Better, Devoted Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, F/M, Fluff, Kylo Ren Redemption, Kylo Ren and Rey Are Not Related, Redeemed Ben Solo, Smut, Soft Ben Solo, Teacher Kylo Ren, Virgin Rey (Star Wars)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:06:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25671034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyloWithAZukoArc/pseuds/KyloWithAZukoArc
Summary: AU where Kylo Ren defected on his own and fled to Jakku to escape the First Order. There, he meets Rey.REYLO LEMONS in Chapter 2More action/adventure tone at the end. Happy ending.COMPLETED
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 16
Kudos: 107





	1. Chapter 1

Niima Outpost didn’t get visitors.

And why should it? What did it have to offer aside from endless dunes of sand and an economy centered around instant food portions? A tourist attraction this settlement was not.

The last visitors came from the Empire. An invasion of AT-ATs, stormtroopers, and even Dreadnoughts, which completely wiped any quality of life Jakku might have possessed. What few survivors there were left could only make do, subsisting off the carcasses of war. Them that remained were vultures. But even that was a generous term.

At least vultures had wings and could fly away to somewhere new. The people here, they were trapped. Trapped by lack of resources, access to opportunities, and worse, the Hutts that ran the town - those like Unkar Plutt who instilled the town’s trade be run on portions. It was their way of making sure they held control: Keep the people hungry, and all they could do would be to think about their next meal. Meanwhile, the Hutts sold the scavenged parts for actual money behind everyone’s back.

The people here couldn’t advance, couldn’t leave. And there was absolutely _no_ reason for anyone new to come.

So why was he here?

Rey looked onto another human man. One of the only few she had ever seen in her entire life. She noticed him, as did nigh everyone else in the village. He wore cloth wrappings around his face, much in the same vein Rey wore hers in the harsh sun, but his clearly human eyes gave his species away. Black hair poked out from his headdress, and a poncho covered in sand wrapped his figure - it may have cloaked his shape, but there was no denying the form of the man was huge.

The visitor placed the newest, shiniest, prettiest piece of hardware Rey had ever encountered in front of Plutt. It looked like some slick new part from a highly rendered navigational system if she was right. It was hard to tell from here.

Anyway, if this guy was honestly trying to blend in with the scavengers, he was doing a horrible job of it. The creatures behind him in line hid their curiosity terribly, if they were trying to hide it at all. Plutt laughed in amusement.

“New blood, eh? Welcome to our little town,” Unkar expressed predatorily. “This is worth... 4 portions.”

Every creature in line shifted. Rey knew the device would have been at least half a month’s worth of meals for her if Plutt was being truthful. And everyone else knew it too. They all awaited the newcomer’s response.

The stranger eyed Plutt without fear. He spoke, “It is worth ten times that.”

Plutt cackled in his face: “Who else will you bring it too? Take it or leave it.”

An odd cadence entered the visitor’s voice then. He said: “You will give me 40 portions.”

Plutt seemed to still for a moment. He was not one to still.

“I will give you 40 portions.”

“You will do so now.”

“I will do so now.”

And Plutt splayed out the mass of foodstuffs for the newbie. The crowd gasped. Others yelled, “What the hell, Plutt?” None of them had never received such a sum from him in all their lives.

The line started to get rowdy. The newcomer calmly loaded up his rations into the bag, when someone shoved him from behind.

“Better be prepared to share, newcomer,” threatened the local bully.

“YeahHH,” cried his right hand man. “Say, where did you get those parts?”

The masked man replied with nothing, finishing collecting his cargo. But as he walked away, the others abandoned their precious spot in line to roast him, while others took up their anger with Unkar. How could he give so much to a stranger and never them, who had worked their entire life for him? Unkar just blinked without recognition.

The newcomer walked as calmly as he could from the yelling, but it wasn’t long before things turned even more physical. A punch was thrown at him from behind, but he ducked at just the last moment for the offender to go falling into the sand.

“Get him!” announced the leader, and all were set upon the newcomer. Rey started up to get up to help him, but she quickly gathered that this was far from the guy’s first fight.

The mystery guy weaved in between his attackers like he knew what they were thinking. She could have sworn she saw him reach for his own waist at some point - perhaps to draw a blaster? But nothing became of it.

One by one the newcomer took down the angry mob with his bare hands. No one was killed, but they all laid spread out over the sand as if they were sunning. It was quite comical to her, as most of them had ganged up on her before. Karma, honestly.

Upon this, she ran to him too.

He readied his fists like he was going to defend himself from her as well, but she only ran past him, saying, “Follow me.”

The man hesitated to do so. And why wouldn’t he? Why should he trust some random girl from the village whose inhabitants had just assailed him? Why go with her, trust her?

Then he spotted what she was running to: A red beater of a speeder. She geared it up, donning her sand goggles. And he felt no ill intent within her.

He followed, quickly gaining ground. By the time he’d arrived, she had just started up its engines. He hopped on the back, having to sit on the metal exterior, as it was a one-seater, no room for two. 

She might regret this later. This "help” of hers was noticed by stray eyes. That could make her life hell tomorrow, being seen as a traitor.

But then he wrapped his arms around her waist. His chest aligned with her back. His form completely dwarfed hers. He didn’t have any kind of seat belt, so this was necessary. He had to hold onto something. It felt like a hug. Is this what a hug was?

This was worth it already.

She sped away.

Clicks away, he finally asked her, as they zoomed over the wasteland together as perfect strangers,

“Why are you helping me?” he semi-yelled over the wind and roar of the vehicle.

“Uh...,” she replied, unheard. She had no real idea. Why _was_ she helping him? There was nothing in it for her. In fact, the community would give her a hard time for it. And they already gave her a hard time.

And how could she be sure she could trust him? She had no idea who he was, only that he was very persuasive, had access to top quality materials, and was a giant who knew how to fight. That wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

With no answer, he filled in the gaps himself: “If it’s the portions you want, fine, I’ll throw you a couple for getting me out of there.”

“Oh, no...,” she weakly replied. But he couldn’t hear that either from her.

He settled back a bit, not leaning against her as much anymore, now tightening his grip around the metal he sat on.

She missed him already. But didn’t say anything else.

And now they had arrived.

The stranger looked upon the downed AT-AT machine she called home. If she wasn’t imagining things, it felt like his eyes had essays to spill as he surveyed it. But he only said:

“This your place?”

She nodded. 

He had no comment.

She parked her speeder and locked it. And he followed her inside.

It was definitely cramped. With the AT-At on its side, the walls were the floor. Likewise, the ceiling and floor were the walls. As such, the giant had to duck a bit to make his way through. She kept her humor on it to herself.

“Water?” She offered. She’d kept some in reserves, for daily use but also for emergencies like this.

“Yes, thank you,” he replied. They were both parched.

She couldn’t give him a lot, certainly no amount that could totally quench his thirst, but she gave what she would consider to be a generous cup.

To drink it, he started to unwrap his face covers. Her heart nearly stopped.

Oh no, he was hot.

He took the drink down in one swig. She knew it wasn’t enough. It never was. Rey wanted to offer him more, but water was crucial here. So she drank her rationed amount slowly as if to show how precious it was and why she didn’t give more.

He spoke: “So, you planning on killing me and taking my portions? Or is the end game to find my supply first, then do me in?”

“Oh no! Not at all,” she replied. His reaction was warranted, and she should have seen it coming, but her brain just wasn’t working correctly right now for some reason. Could be because of how cute he was.

Wait, _was_ he cute? She’d never seen enough men in her life to get a good barometer on these things. He had a very distinctive face to be sure, and she was attracted to it. But maybe she just liked it because it was the few she’d ever seen in person.

Whatever, he was hot to her. She wouldn’t think about it anymore.

Anyway, what?

“I’m joking,” he told her, and a little bit of a smile crossed his face. What, how was he even more attractive from that? “Nice place you got here.”

She couldn’t tell if this was him making fun of her situation or what. So she just said, “Thanks,” and let that be, before changing the subject. “I’m Rey, by the way.”

“I’m Ky—" and it was like he choked himself to redirect his sentence – “I’m Ben. Nice to meet you.”

An alias? Okay, that made sense actually.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Hungry?” he said, pulling out one of his many packets of portions. Her mouth watered.

“Very.”

So she showed him how to turn the portions into actual foodstuffs. He was glad to have her do it; he’d assumed they were compact protein bars, not a powder that needed to be mixed in a container and let rise. That would have been a bitch to figure out.

He insisted that they make enough for a full meal. She refused him over and over, saying it would be better to stretch his rations out for as long as possible, but he waved it off.

“Think of it as thanks for getting me out of there,” he said. “Bet the whole town would have mobbed me by the end of it if you hadn’t acted quickly. Seems I won’t have to go back for a little while. I’ll... return when it is less crowded next time.”

“Yeah, end-of-day, when everyone is back from scavenging, is definitely not the best time. Especially if you’re... trying to not be noticed.”

“Me? Not trying to be noticed?”

“Well yeah. You’re running from something, right?”

He stiffened from her supposition, stopping mid chew. Rey picked up —

“I mean. What other reason would you have to be here? If not to escape something.”

He still didn’t confirm or deny it. But his silence was enough for her. A small flutter flew through her in a pressure to clarify:

“You don’t have to tell me what it is, by the way. It’s just obvious you are,” she kept talking, with him still not replying: “And, like... From the high quality parts you were selling... to the fact that you’re really pale. Which tells me you were able to stay indoors a lot… it all makes me think you came from wealth. It’s just all just really obvious. If you were trying to hide right now, uh..”

“I’m doing a pretty bad job of it.”

“Heh.”

They ate in silence for a few moments, before she urged to break it again:

“Can I ask… Why Jakku?”

He swallowed. His eyes flitted from her to his quickly depleting meal.

“Well. It isn’t... It’s not occupied by certain people.”

“The First Order?” Who else? He had specifically said _occupied_. That was a dead giveaway.

“I can neither confirm nor deny.”

Rey’s eyes sparkled. “They are looking for you? Are you part of _The Resistance_?”

He noticeably winced there.

“Sorry,” she said, “I just said I wasn’t going to ask.”

He went back to his meal. He was nursing his last bite.

Rey resumed her train of thought:

“So… I hate to break it to you. But if the First Order comes here snooping around, asking questions… You stick out like a sore thumb. You’d be sold out immediately.”

His mouth became a hard line. The First Order would have to be able to track him down first to even come to Jakku. He’d done a thorough job of covering his tracts so far, but they would never stop, so there was always a chance he could be followed.

“I haven’t done this sort of thing before. Running, hiding. Not doing very well, am I?”

“Well. First time for everything.”

“Except if I fail once, I’m a dead man.”

Rey caught herself. Right. If he was running, then he was being hunted. Then being around him was only putting herself in danger.

But what chances were there that they would look in a deserted world for him?

He answered her question more fully: “I picked Jakku because it was such a nothing planet. An endless expanse of sand and heat. They would think I’d escaped to a city and changed identities. Or something to that effect. I didn’t think the local population would give me so much trouble…”

Rey looked over him as he spoke. She was definitely paying attention, but also, he was the most beautiful specimen she has ever seen in her life. She had never thought of anyone as _handsome_ before, so maybe he wasn’t even that attractive, comparatively speaking, but he definitely got her going and all he had to do was sit there to incite that feeling in her guts. 

Anyway... he posed a question: “Do you have any suggestions what I should do instead?”

She drummed her hands on the small table.

“Just living off grid in some wilderness would be better. An island somewhere. Maybe... I’ve always dreamed of an island, at least.”

He looked at her. This girl who had known nothing but desert life, who was clearly incredibly resilient and strong. Strong enough to live for herself in a place that only knew how to take and take and take. Yet here she was, helping an utter stranger without being prompted - not doing it for anything in return. She was a better person than he was. Then again, even Plutt would be considered a better person than he was. He shook his head.

“So this island,” he started, “Sounds promising. I don’t know the first thing about living in the wilderness though.”

“Well I guess neither do I,” Rey said. “But it could be fun to learn.”

He stared at her for a moment.

“Well. Even if I am to leave for this faraway place, I... I wouldn’t be able to.”

“You don’t have a transport unit? Did you crash here? Were you dropped off?”

“No, I... I did fly here,” he said. His actual plan had been to live off selling the parts of his TIE fighter, of which he knew he could basically retire on from how expensive it was. Especially considering he local economy. He said,

“The part I sold today, it was necessary for navigation.”

“I knew it,” Rey said. And he laughed. “Well, good eye. Anyway, without it... can’t search for someplace new. Can’t find any island.”

She smiled, “Well then let’s just get it back.”

Her sudden deviousness both surprised and charmed him.

“What do you propose?”

“We steal it, of course.”

Oh, he liked this girl a lot.

“So what’s in it for you? More rations?”

She stopped for a moment. Honestly, she just really wanted to get back at Plutt. Steal something from him she knew he’d love to profit from. And this stranger seemed more than capable to pull off such a feat. But she hadn’t thought of anything else beyond that. That Plutt would likely come after her for doing such a thing. That she should probably at least try to profit off of risking her life for a stranger, for once - at least for more than just a good time.

“Come away with me,” the stranger suddenly said, interrupting her thoughts.

It threw her something fierce. What? Come with? Come with him? Him? Him? This guy? What did he mean? And where did he get the audacity to say such things?

“We uh... just met,” she weakly replied.

“I know,” he said, “I’m not saying you should stay in the wilderness with me... Just let me get you off this planet. I could drop you off anywhere. You can have a chance at a better life. That’d be a fair trade for all you’ve done. Or plan to do.”

Her heart grew more and more at the prospect when he spoke. Leave? Go anywhere? Do anything? Be somebody? Anywhere?

And then it shrank back low again.

“I can’t.”

“You can’t? Why not?”

“I’m... waiting on someone.”

He shifted in his seat. Did his demeanor just lose a little of his luster?

“Waiting for who?”

“My family... they’ll be coming back for me... I know they will.”

“How long have you been waiting?”

She glanced over to a wall at the far side of the room. Covered and covered and covered was it with white lines etched into the surface.

Dear god, it was a tally.

“That’s...” His spirit practically left his body. He didn’t have to finish his sentence for her to know where he was going.

“Yeah, I know. But. Okay, but. They’ll be coming back for me. They will. I know it in my bones.”

His shoulders dimmed for her. This poor girl.

“Well. Then,” he recovered, “What can I get you instead?”

She looked up excitedly.

“I think stealing enough portions to last me until retirement would be enough.”

He smirked back with a tint of sadness.

And so they had their caper set.

They spent the rest of the night planning it. The next day would be for scoping things out to make sure it would go according to plan. Make sure Rey wouldn’t come out as looking suspicious after it all. Contingency plans. The works.

She noticed a strong military vibe come off from him in their strategizing. Whoever he was, coordinating plans of attack must have been a big part of his past life. Yeah he was totally Resistance people. So hot.

At the end of their planning session, he readied to leave for the night.

She asked where he was staying.

He skirted to a halt for a moment.

Ben pulled out a tracker for his ship at that. It beeped in recognition.

Oh lord, it was far.

She had to laugh.

“Okay well. You’re not going to find it in the pitch black of night. And it’s dangerous to go out there now. There are monsters that rise from the sand during the cool of the night...”

“Well. What would you suppose I do instead?

Rey’s gears turned. And in realization, she couldn’t believe what she had just insinuated. It had literally just been advice to not go out into the cold, hungry desert alone for hours, especially with the sand pits around. She hadn’t even mentioned those yet. But what had come out was an invitation. To stay. At her place. For the night.

“I mean, I can sleep outside,” he offered when Rey hadn’t replied immediately.

“No, no, no, she said. I. That. It’s... It’s freezing at night. I can at least get the heater going in here. You can take my bed.”

“I’m not taking your bed, Rey.”

“Well... feel free to stay the night tonight regardless... It’s nice to have company.”

And it was true. One night where she didn’t have to be alone with her thoughts. That’d be nice.

He smiled. “Alright. Twist my arm why don’t you. I’ll stay.”

She smiled back.

Rey did sleep on her small bunk, while Ben took a little rug she had. She gave him what little extra blankets she had and a bag that could kind of work like a pillow. He had his poncho too.

They both lied near a furnace she had constructed into the wall. It had been a lifesaver; she could actually get a full night’s sleep with it on, sometimes. But only sometimes, because nightmares were hard.

“Good night, Ben.”

“Good night,” he replied.

And they tried to sleep.

Oh boy. Did they try.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BEN AND REY LEMONSSSSSS. You love to see it.

A current like electricity flowed between them both. It was unlike anything she had felt before. And honestly, same with him. Ben was used to tapping into a mystical, mysterious power to bend the world to his whim. But this? What was this pull? This connection he felt? Was it the Force after all?

Oh. No. He was just horny.

But he wouldn’t act on this. No. For one, Ben was trying really, really hard to be a good person now. For whatever good that had done him. Even though he had defected on his own terms, he knew he couldn’t possibly return home. He’d done too much. Hurt too many people. There was no way he could face the Resistance. Especially Leia. Especially Han. So he was completely on his own. Being hunted down like a dog by Hux.

And _trying_ to be a good person. 

If that started with _not_ taking advantage of a beautiful, generous woman in her own home, then okay, great. Baby steps. He shifted his 'pillow.' 

Meanwhile, Rey felt a burning in her bones. She moved onto her side, sneaking a peak at Ben on the floor. He was right there. Right there. 

She considered. She’d never done anything before with anyone else. Anything she had explored before was entirely self discovered. She didn’t know the first thing. What would she do even if something transpired? What would that look like?

Secondly. Did he feel anything like she was feeling now? She knew he was still awake. They both maneuvered separately every few minutes, trying to get comfortable. Was it because he felt uncomfortable on the floor? Quite possibly. Was it because he didn’t sleep outside of his own abode? Plausible. Was it because he was also inexcusably full of lust? Doubtful. 

A guy like him probably had his pick of the litter when it came to partners. Why would little ole Rey have any draw for him? 

That pathway of thought spiraled into self-deprecation. The life and culture and body of a scavenger girl... Yeah, that was sexy. He was definitely into that. Not.

But the last thing she thought was:

When would she ever have something like this again? 

Niima Outpost didn’t get visitors. Niima Outpost didn’t get handsome visitors. Niima Outpost didn’t get handsome visitors who would stay the night at her place. Who were cool and kind and so comfortable to talk to. 

If he was to leave tomorrow. And she was to keep waiting for her family. And they would never see each other again…

Well then. So what if she fucked it up. He would be gone soon anyway. 

So she took a deep breath and took the plunge. 

“Hey...” she said, her own voice nigh failing her. 

“Yeah?”

“I can’t sleep.”

“Neither can I.”

She was gonna say it she was gonna say it she was gonna say it

“Think you would sleep better in the bed?”

“I told you, I’m not taking your bed, Rey.”

She bit her tongue in frustration. 

“I mean with me still in it.”

Only the sound of the furnace quietly reverberating could be heard then. She wasn’t sure how much time was passing, but the wait for his answer felt like an excruciating crawl over glass. 

He looked up to her, his eyes the most beautiful thing she had ever laid sight on. Even if he said no, she felt so lucky for him to even look at her with such intensity, this hue of the most wonderful shade of brown. 

He didn’t say anything. He just got up. 

And slowly edged closer to her bedside.

Her heart was pounding like it could break her rib cage open. She couldn’t even move - just in shock that this was even happening. But eyes still interlocked with his. Never leaving his. 

He knelt by her, and gently, slowly moved a hand to her face. Her cheek was so warm. If not from the heat of the furnace, then heat of her own accord. Her lips parted from his thumb. And he kissed her. 

It was a gentle thing. His own nervousness didn’t let him throw himself into her. The last time he had been with a woman was long before he became Commander Kylo Ren of the First Order. Being a war leader under Master Snoke didn’t exactly leave him personal time or personal ties. He would have to remember how this was supposed to go.

He finally answered:

“Can’t guarantee I’ll sleep any better here.”

She laughed. The kiss had made her so incredibly giddy. It had been her first. It was going to be a night of firsts. 

She pulled open the covers for him to crawl into. She knew he was a big man, but having this giant right next to her only emphasized their size difference. He dwarfed her. In a way, for a moment, she felt scared. 

Scared he could hurt her at any time he wanted. Scared she was making a huge mistake in inviting this stranger to her bed. But she had taken that chance of getting hurt in the first place when she brought him into her house.

So she cuddled up close into his hardened chest instead. 

He kissed her again then, a much deeper, longer kiss. He took the full lead, widening her mouth to sneak in his tongue and play with hers. She was definitely unsure as to how to go about this. Rey gave her darnedest try, but it wasn’t really flowing. So he said,

“Relax. Become malleable. It’s alright. I got you.”

She fucking melted. Her underwear completely soaked through from his words. If he decided to kill her right then, she’d die happy. 

Anyway, she did as she was told. She took a deep breath and relaxed.

His plush lips devoured hers in the sweetest fashion. His hand held her face, his GIANT hand held her face; Christ his hand took up half her head. It was glorious.

For him too, this touch, this closeness, it was also a lot. His time in the chain of command had wildly separated him from any kind of tenderness. It was always mannish aggression at every turn. A combination of influence from the Dark side and militaristic pissing contests that had been his life for the past 15 years. He was amazed to even see this soft side of him come out. Where had that been buried?

“Ben...” she groaned his name. 

Oh dear god it was on. 

He indulged in her neck, sucking on it for the world to see his marks. It didn’t matter anyway, desert dwellers always covered up from the sun’s rays. He could leave love bites on almost every surface of her and it wouldn’t have mattered one bit. 

Speaking of every surface. 

He started pawing at her clothing. And she pawed at his. 

They both sat up then, taking care of their own coverings. He wasn’t shy, stripping down completely naked for her. She though was a hairbreadth nervous to expose herself. Seeing him in all his glory - it both made it better and made it worse. 

“Need help?” He joked into her ear, kissing it. 

“I... I....,” she decided to confess. “I’ve just never done this before.”

Oh shit. He was her first. Well. Goddamn.

“Do you want it?” he asked her. 

“... Y...yes...”

“All of it?” He pried. 

“I, I don’t even know what that means.”

“I’ll show you.”

And he unwrapped her arm bands, like unveiling a present. These were the ribbons. Her shirt was the gift wrap. Her shorts the box it came in. She didn’t even have time to be nervous. 

He got lost in her collarbones. Wandered over breasts. Journeyed over her stomach. And destined betwixt her thighs. It caused her heart to jumpstart.

“Let me make you feel good,” he goaded there. Never had anyone even been slightly close to her regions before; she wasn’t sure if the rush of warmness she got was from the furnace or what. 

He kissed her thighs though. That helped a bunch. 

“Relax...,” he cooed again. And she took another deep breath. And let him in. 

It was unlike anything she had ever felt before. She was definitely incredibly sensitive right now, but not used to the feeling of someone else touching her there. He himself was by no means an expert at all this either, but enthusiasm went a long way. 

“Tell me what you like,” he said.

“I... don’t know what I like.”

“Well then. Shall we figure it out?”

Honestly she almost came just from that reply, in a metaphorical sense.

He spent his time down there, enjoying the musk of her and the taste over his tongue. Boy was it so delicious to be with a woman again. And Rey was a wonderful partner to dance with. 

Her hips skewed into his mouth and somewhere she got the notion to touch his hair while he ate her, and, instinctively, she ran her fingers through it. She couldn’t watch though. It was too embarrassing. She closed her eyes and just sat back. Half enjoying it, half just enjoying being enjoyed. 

After who knows how long, he arose from her. She hadn’t gotten anywhere close to coming, but that didn’t matter. She was having a blast just doing whatever it was they were doing. Seeing him tower over her, she spotting his readiness. She blushed again. 

“I want you,” he told her. 

“Have me,” she said.

And he kissed her. 

He settled his hips down into hers. Guiding himself with his hand, he felt her entrance and gave another quick smooch of reassurance. Then he bared into her. 

She wasn’t sure what this sensation was but she loved that this beast of a man was pressing himself into her. An unintentional groan left her mouth, and he reached all the way inside. 

“Ahh...”

“Does it hurt?”

“I don’t know. I think.”

“Let me shift some.”

He pulled out slightly from her, and this only made him slick with her. In pushing back in the second time, it was already much easier and more comfortable. She felt a wave of electricity from his bare cock inside her. A part of her felt like she could scream from the desire alone.

He pumped more. 

“Fuck,” he cussed to himself. How long had it been that he’d felt this good? Rey, Rey felt amazing. Her tiny body was so tight around him. Fuck it was incredible. 

She loved how he rocked her. His hips jutted her back and forth; he was just so big and his cock was just so delicious and she was just so ahhhh. 

They grunted together. Soon they were sweating, and she had to reach to the furnace to turn it down. The cool of the desert night and metal skeleton they resided in turned into a nice thing, for once. 

They had changed positions; he wanted to dog her from behind - which oh, oh sure, she said, okay, yeah, fuck, fuck yeah okay, fuck yeah, fuck, fuck, FUCK.

He was ready to burst, and he tried to pleasure her with his hand while it happened. She loved it. But eventually he had to pull out, and he came on her ass. 

With a heaving not unlike a growl, his entire form tensed, and his jubilation rocked her. His manly exhalations were the hottest thing she’d ever experienced. After a beat, he sobered up.

“Fuck, sorry,” he apologized, leaving to clean her up with one of his rags. He didn’t care about the cloth, he’d just throw it in the garbage later.

“Don’t apologize,” she said. Whatever dangerous decision they had just partaken in, she really truly didn’t care right now. She’d fucked. They fucked. They’d fucked hard. They’d fucked good.

“Do you want me to finish you?” he asked.

“Uhm. Can I do it?”

“Oh. Okay. Can I help somehow?”

“Uh,” she blushed. Why was she blushing? This man just came on her ass. Rey, calm down. Get with it.

“I want you to use your hand while I touch myself,” she instructed.

“Fuck yeah, let’s do it.”

So she settled back down onto her back, and he got onto his side, sitting up on his elbow. He looked down at her bare skin before him and gave a smile, saying:

“You should know. You’re really pretty.”

“Haha, stop,” she giggled.

“You are though.”

“So are you. Really pretty.”

“Aw stop.”

She laughed. It was the first time anyone had told her that. So many firsts.

He aimed to place his fingers into her, and she slid her hand over herself. Fuck she was so ready. So ready. Let it happen. Let it happen.

The joint use of his fingers inside of her, swimming in and out, in and out, and then inserting another long finger, and her drowning her clit with pleasure, it wasn’t long before she came immensely like he had.

The silent scream passed over her face, and he ogled at it. Upon her come down, he called her beautiful. And she caught her breath for more than one reason.

“That was... really amazing,” she shyly expressed.

He cuddled up next to her then, licking his fingers. “It really was.”

She covered her face, so flustered from him doing that. He pulled her arms back.

“Stop. You don’t need to be embarrassed around me.”

She could just die and go to Heaven then. Life on Jakku had piqued. This man had ruined her. How would she ever move on from this ecstasy? He was supposed to leave tomorrow, and she would never see him again? Oh god. She’d be reliving tonight for the next 30 years. It was over.

Maybe she shouldn’t have slept with him.

But then he pulled her into his chest, and rubbed her back. She was no longer solid mass, she was putty in his arms.

Well, no matter what happened, she told herself she would have no regrets. And she kissed him. And he kissed her.

And they fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's no walk of shame when there's no where else to go wink wink

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also things get slightly more serious toned here.

In the morning time, she couldn’t believe what she was waking up to.

A man. Beside her. Draped over her. Naked. She was naked. What was going on.

And then she remembered the previous night. Okay, she was wide awake now.

The stranger - now lover? - was a one night stand enough to call someone a lover? - no, he was still a stranger - the stranger named Ben gently snored. She gingerly peeled herself off of him to use the fresher.

All she could think was how much he’d changed her world is so little time. Her step had a bounce to it. A bounce. What was with that?

Living the way she did was harsh and grueling. Everyday a test. The same misery. Different rotation. But right now she felt absolutely alive.

Did he have to leave?

She slightly regretted all the advice she'd given him now. For just for a moment. Maybe he _could_ avoid the First Order if he stayed here. Maybe he didn’t have to go so soon. Maybe they could... hang out for a while.

But she shook her head. She was being selfish. And who was to say he would want to stay with her? There was nothing to do in Jakku but endless turmoil, just to survive.

Anyway, she wanted to crawl back into bed with him. If they only had one more day together, she’d want to make every moment last as long as possible.

Her stirring back into the covers roused him awake. He drearily opened his eyes to see her snuggling back close. Instinctively he enclosed her into himself.

God why did he have to leave.

Before long he awoke totally as well. They were both morning people, it appeared. If not by nature, then by necessity.

“Good morning,” he gently whispered.

“Good morning,” she replied. “Sleep well?”

“Better,” he said. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a decent rest. The sex had certainly exhausted him to sleep, though the quarters still left much to be desired. His neck and back were sore from the thin mattress.

“Hungry? We got... more portions,” he joked. In seriousness.

She chuckled, “Let’s eat.”

And this time, he made it for them.

“We have plenty...,” he noted, looking at the rest of the portions he’d gotten from yesterday. “You should take the day off from scavenging.”

Her jaw nearly fell open from the suggestion. A day off? A day off. A day off? She never took days off. What?

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, why not?”

The scavenger way of living was day-to-day. Every light of dawn meant another scrapping to get by. This felt almost too good to be true.

She could spend the day with him.

So she went ahead and fucked him again, right there by the breakfast table.

In breaking their afterglow kiss, she said, “Well, I still need to go to Niima Outpost later to confirm our plan will work.”

“Later.”

“Yeah, later.”

He kissed her again.

They spent the morning just talking. Joking. Laughing. A little more sex. They kept the conversation light, never delving to deep into who he really was, or her lack-of-family life. She bitched about the assholes in Niima Outpost, and he bitched (rather more vaguely) about some of his former coworkers. And they talked and talked and talked, until finally she asked:

“I need to know something,” she inquired.

“What’s up?”

“Yesterday... when you were dealing with Plutt... how did you get him to agree to pay you so much? Plutt always undercuts. And everyone just has to deal with it. How?”

The stranger’s visage went terse from the inquiry. She felt like she had made a misstep. Should she like, apologize? It was a huge deal though, for everyone. Should couldn’t just gloss over it. He pursed his lips.

“Have you heard... the legends of the Jedi?”

“Like Luke Skywalker?”

His fist visibly clenched from the suggestion.

“Yes, like Skywalker.”

“Well, sure. But it’s all stories to tell around the campfire. What about it?”

He looked her dead in the eye.

-

“What?”

“Yeah, I used an old Jedi trick on Unkar. His mind is weak... It was really easy.”

She quizzically eyed him. “I guess I’m supposed to laugh now? This is a weird joke...”

“It’s not a joke.”

“Okay. Prove it.”

“What?”

“The Jedi and the Force and all that. Campfire stories. If you honestly want me to believe you, you’ll have to pro-“

And then her quarterstaff came floating from behind her and into his hand.

He offered it to her.

“WHAT THE FU-“

She stood immediately and backed herself into the corner as far from him as possible.

“What did you just do?”

“I proved it.”

“What the hell was that?”

“What I’ve been telling you. The Force. It’s... real. I’m a... I can use it.”

She ogled at him. “The Force.”

The more familiar this stranger became, the weirder he got.

She sat herself down against the wall.

“Do it again,” she ordered.

He opened his palm. Without so much as looking away from her, the staff floated above it. It even started rotating a little, back and forth.

Then it breezed over to her, and she caught it. She felt her weapon up and down for strings. There was nothing.

“Now do you believe me?” was all he said.

Currently, she was reevaluating her worldview.

So the Jedi were real. The old Sith of rumor were real. Was everything she'd heard true? What did this mean? For her? For the world? Did anything change? Did everything change?

“You’re a Jedi?” she asked in disbelief.

“No.”

“You’re a Sith?”

“... No.”

“Then what are you?”

“I have no idea.”

They just sat there in the revelation.

Who the fuck was she dealing with?

-

“So okay, the plan,” she recounted a little later, as they ate an early dinner. She was about to head out soon to check out the Outpost.

“The plan,” he repeated, taking a sip of water.

“Now that you have told me you’re a...,” she struggled for a term to call it, “a Force User. I kind of want to abandon this ‘sneak in, sneak out’ ploy and wanna see you wreck the place.”

He laughed. “Aw, you wouldn’t join me?”

“Well. I shouldn’t be seen. But the idea just intrigues me.”

He smiled. “I very well could.”

“Wait. Are you serious? I was joking.”

“Trust me,” he said, “Some desert scum on the bottom of my shoe means nothing to me.”

Her eyes were wild with this vision of revenge. But she brought herself back down to earth.

“I mean, I really was joking...,” an air of sadness coated her tone. “As shit as he is, Plutt’s hold is what is keeping this place together. Without it, there is no system.”

“Can you make a new one?”

She smiled. “You make it sound so simple.”

“Well, toss 'em a bone. Take out Plutt. Get his connections to the outer systems. Take his money, give it to everyone. Then they can finance their way out. For whoever wanted to leave.”

“Haha...,” Rey laughed sardonically, “If only it was that easy... It would be a blood bath for who could get what. And besides -" she switched angles, “This would be a very long process... This arrangement.. Getting everyone on board. And I don’t know the first thing about... redistribution. Or the outside. It would be me spearheading it. And no one exactly listens to me.”

“Well, what if I-"

“No.”

No she said. This wasn’t his problem to fix.

He felt a great sadness overtake her bones. He empathized. Change was complicated.

But also, he was fucking Kylo Ren, former Leader of the Knights of Ren, who had overturned government after government to the First Order’s grasp. Resource-wise, the two of them were stunted right now, compared to the militaristic ploys he’d had at his disposal before. But also, he and her would be all they needed to get it started.

“Keep on just a little longer,” he encouraged. “We could delay our attack tonight. We-"

“No... no...,” she pressed. “You need to leave as soon as you can.”

“I can press my luck a little longer.”

“Ben...”

_It’s Kylo._ He replied in his head. He wasn’t good enough deserve the name Ben yet.

This plan. This idea. It put fire in his veins. They could do some real good here. He didn’t have to save the world. Just had to give a little back. He could help with this.

“I need to leave soon,” she said. “End-of-day is coming... Gotta scope things out... stick to the plan...”

“Rey...”

She met his gaze. He went to hold her hand.

“I don’t have to go yet. We can figure this out together. Things could be different here. For you...”

“You didn’t grow up here,” an edge cut into her, surprising even herself, “You don’t know what it’s been like. You think you can just waltz in and fix everything?”

This surge back at him. That kind of attitude was something he was more used to from Hux. Ah, memories.

He cemented: “Plutt is nothing. The Hutts are nothing. We can destroy them. We can lead this town into a new era.”

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” she pulled her hand away. The audacity of this man. This stranger. Who thought he knew everything. Presumptuous ass. “Who ARE you?!” she shouted at him.

“I’m Kylo Ren,” he cut back, full of authority, “Commander of the First Order and the Knights of Ren.”

Her mind stopped.

“What?”

“I...” He wasn’t sure why he said that. Why did he tell her? He was supposed to be hiding. He was doing the complete opposite of hiding. He'd revealed his hand too much. Too soon. This was bad. If she was ever questioned, she would turn him in for sure. Because he deserved to die. Even if it was by the First Order’s hand.

But she burst into laughter. She could barely breathe. Her stomach was cramping from it. She had never laughed so hard in her life.

“Oh my God, Ben. Fine. You are so ridiculous. Whatever, don’t tell me. Jesus.”

She thought he was joking? Oh, fantastic. Great. He had an out.

Thankfully, this relieved the tension that had built up in the tiny room. He moved on it to say,

"I... overstepped," he granted. "This is your town, not mine. Sorry."

He was sorry? Had he ever said ‘sorry’ in his life? The word was unusual on his lips.

She wiped a tear from her eye. She’d needed a good laugh.

“It’s...,” she sighed. “God, I don’t care. I’m running late. I gotta go.”

She stood and grabbed her staff, keys, and even a piece of scavenging she'd been saving for a rainy day. That would serve her as her ‘findings’ for Plutt, acting like everything was normal.

He couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. Not just from her disinterest in his plans. Not just from her leaving - and he hated to see her go. But he knew this was the beginning of the end for them. She was going to stay here on this miserable planet, and he would go off into the universe alone. He knew he’d never find anyone like her again.

He should tell her. He thought. He should tell her what he saw in his dreams last night. He knew she would never believe him, at least she wouldn’t have before he... proved the Force was real. What he could do. But she was leaving now.

“Rey...,” he said.

“Yeah?” she replied dryly, equipping her goggles.

“... Be safe,” he chickened out. “People saw you help me escape. They’ll be angry.”

“Yeah, I know. The plan, remember?”

“The plan... yeah... Good luck.”

“Thanks.”

And she left him. He sat alone in the downed AT-AT, the corpse of the former Empire, the remains of the First Order’s ancestors. And he couldn’t help but feel dead himself.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> IT'S A HEIST YO

Rey sped over the dunes. Her mind was all a mess. She’d need her full concentration for this mission, but her spirit was torn. Angry. Sad. Unfocused. Ben had apologized. She told herself that was enough. Ben wanted better for her. For them. It came out misplaced, but it was kind. Ben was leaving. Her heart was breaking.

He had volunteered to stay. Why didn’t she jump on that? Stupid. It was all she wanted. And he said he would. And she turned it down. Was it too late to go back now? The plan was in motion.... Stupid stupid stupid.

She arrived to the outpost. Not nearly as sweaty as she normally was after a full day of scavenging, but no one should notice that. She gathered her meager “findings for the day” and got in line.

As soon as she had pulled up though, she’d met the scowls of her fellow scavengers. Some of them with black eyes and teeth missing.

“Well well well, Rey,” the leader from yesterday spat at her, “We thought you’d run away with your new lover.”

“Yeah! Your new lover!” his stupid side kick rubbed in.

“My plan didn’t work,” she replied, “I saved him to earn his trust... so he’d let his guard down later...” She looked him right in the muzzle, “tried to kill him myself... but he got away.”

“Ohhohoho,” the leader replied, fully amused. “Did he now?”

“Yeah.” And Rey lifted her pant leg up, unwrapping a nasty cut she had gotten yesterday from scavenging in the Dreadnought. “He near cut my leg off in the scuffle.”

“Mmm,” the leader looked over it the wound. “Well Rey. What a plan. I didn’t think you were the type. I’m impressed.”

“Still didn’t work though,” she wrapped the cut back up, “Damn outsider.”

“Damn outsider.” The leader turned away from her.

_Holy shit it worked_ , she thought to herself, keeping her face as emotionless as possible. _Holy shit._

Time for phase two.

Rey watched Plutt’s employees walking through his shop. They carried and boxed the findings which were to be shipped off-world for a bargain price. Bargain price to the rest of the system, life changing amounts of credit for those at Niima.

She saw the key ring that hung around Plutt’s waist. For portions. For the safe of credits. No doubt also for a special compartment he kept the really expensive items. It had only been a day. There was no way the part could have gotten sold yet. Trade was slow to their corner of the galaxy. It would be somewhere locked in that hut.

Her idea for Kylo to just bust in and take everything was starting to sound really nice again. She shook her head.

Now it was her turn in the line.

“What do you have?” Plutt eyed her down, annoyed, disinterested. His day had been wrought with angry customers after the night before. She placed her meager offerings onto the counter. He turned them over, not even wanting to taunt her about how pathetic it was.

“One eighth portion.”

She’d take it without complaint. She feigned an upset face to try to sell it. But she wasn’t trying to make a scene today. That wasn’t what this was for.

In taking her small payment, she left to walk around town a little longer. And by left to walk around town, she meant to scope the place out more.

From what she could tell, his office was in the back, and an enforced door was the only exit. A guard animal stood out back and growled at her approach. Ok so they would have to deal with that mutt.

The office should have everything they needed. No reason to go through the rest of storage in their search. They just needed to get Plutt’s keys now.

And Plutt slept in an adjoined building. This trade was his entire life. Well, trade was a generous term. This racketeering was his entire life.

He would disarm the guard animal, and she would lock pick the door and keep a lookout. Ben would get his keys, get to the safe, take what they needed, and then they would leave. He would leave traces to show it was him. If Ben ran into trouble inside, he could take out whoever he needed. That part he was very confident about that part.

If she was seen, she’d be kept in the clear from claiming she had dropped her portions for the day and was looking for them. She and Ben would arrive separately and leave separately. Then rendezvous after to exchange payment for her help. It was simple enough.

And then Ben would leave... forever.

She slapped her face to focus.

No sleep for her tonight.

-

Back at the AT-AT, they tried to kill some time. She updated him on her intel, and he showed her how to use the commlink, and she some scavenging tricks. When there wasn’t anything else mission-wise to hash out... awkward silence followed. From a mix of nervousness on her end, and words left unsaid on his. 

He noticed a flower on her table then.

“Where did you get that?” he asked off hand. 

“Oh... that little guy. Would you believe I found it growing in a Dreadnought?”

“Really?”

“Mhm... Wild thing... someone must have had a little flower so long ago... when it crashed. I always wondered whom it belonged to.”

“Desert flower,” he noted, and looked at her. She weakly smiled. 

“So... Rey...”

“Yes?”

Her eyes totally destroyed him. He could only hope she would hear him out from this.

“I had a dream last night.”

“Yeah?”

“And you were in it.”

A small, coy smirk started at the corners of her lips. “What kind of dream?”

Oh, shit. Not that kind.

“Ha… sorry to disappoint, uh. It, uh… It was from the Force.”

“What?”

“It… Visions can come from it. About the past, about the future.”

“Okay?”

“I had a vision about your parents.”

A petal fell from the flower.

“What? What do you mean? You saw my past?”

“I did.”

Her eyes darted from side to side. This was a bit much to talk about right before their mission. But I guess there was no other time for it but now.

“What did… you see?”

His eyes held endless sadness. He didn’t speak. Until it clicked.

“No,” she said.

“I’m sorry.”

“No. They’re not. They’re coming back for me. They are.”

“Rey… you… You know it’s true… Search your feelings.”

“It’s not.”

Hot tears began pooling and flooding down her cheeks. He moved to comfort her, when suddenly the grief turned into burning anger.

“You’re fucking with me.”

“What? No, why would I do that?”

“You’re not funny.”

“I’m serious!”

“Oh really? Damn then Ben, what can’t you do? You can move things with your mind. You can see into the past and future. And you can play mind tricks? How do I know you haven’t been using your mind tricks on me the whole time?”

And then she gasped. Her stomach dropped. It had been an offhand supposition. But now she was genuinely afraid. 

Is that why she helped him when it made no sense?

Is that why she... invited him to bed when it was totally out of her character?

Was this him trying to keep controlling her?

She backed away.

“No, Rey, please, that isn’t how it works.”

“Then how _does it work_? It seems you can just do whatever you want through this Force.”

“I have done nothing to influence you. You still have complete control over all your choices.”

“Why should I believe you? How could you possibly prove that?”

“I... I can’t,” he dimmed, “You would just have to trust me.”

“That’s a laugh.”

He was at a total loss of words. How did this get so turned around so quickly?

“I’m just trying to help.”

“Go help yourself. Know what, you seem more than capable to pull of the plan on your own anyway.”

“Rey...”

“Do you deny it?”

“I... just thought we could do it together.”

So he could. The whole time. Why had he needed her?

“Well guess what, it’s more dangerous for me to be seen with you anyway. I don’t care anymore. Just take it and go.”

“Are you... Are you serious?”

“I am.”

He wished he hadn’t opened his big mouth. He should have known better than to try to sell his visions to her. He said then,

“Fine. I’ll go myself.”

“Fine.”

“Then I’m taking the portions with me,” he threatened. More of a ploy to get her to change her mind than anything. 

“ _Fine._ ”

“I’m taking your speeder.”

“Now hold on.”

There it was. 

“Look,” he began, “I can’t walk into town from here. Especially in the dark. And what about all those monsters you talked about? And sand pits?”

She shifted. It wasn’t like she wanted him dead. Just gone.

“Fine... I’ll drive you to the outskirts of town and back to the drop-off point.”

“I’ll give you a fourth of my portions if you do.”

“Whatever.”

It was getting late. It was getting time. She grabbed the commlink, the rest of her materials, and walked passed him. She shoved his shoulder with hers on the way out. 

He sighed. Great job, Ben. Very smooth. He picked up the rest of his things and headed out with her.

-

They drove away in silence.

He still wrapped himself around her, but he could feel the mental block she’d walled up against him. There wouldn’t be any exchanges here. Just the wind chill freezing them to the bone. His body against hers was at least nice for warmth. At least there was that.

And that the night monsters and sand pits didn’t bother them this round. That was nice too.

Far enough away where she couldn’t be seen, she stopped the speeder outside of town, cutting the headlights. It was a close enough walk for him to get to and fro without a problem. Probably. It was so dark that Rey could barely see her hand in front of her face. Luckily, the little town’s lights gave the direction he’d be sneaking to.

“Commlink on?”

“It’s on,” she confirmed.

“Alright.”

“Alright.”

A beat passed between them.

“I’ll keep you updated.”

“Be safe,” she generously wished.

He squeezed her arm at that. And walked on.

She’d have nothing to do now but sit and wait. And think.

-

Ben approached Niima Outpost. The desert wind covered any sounds his footsteps made. This was going to be easy. Get in, get out. Get back to Rey. Head out… without her.

Her stubbornness annoyed him. Even if her parents weren’t dead in a pauper’s grave, why should she wait for them on the chance they might return? What kind of excuse could they have possibly have to leave her here that would justify her misery? Maybe it was just his own horrible relationship with his parents talking, but if he was in her shoes, he’d book it the first chance he got.

Maybe he should have just tried to convince her the old fashion way, talk her into going, instead of going all mystical bullshit on her.

Nah. It was a sensitive subject in any format. She was going to wait no matter what and get mad at him for suggesting anything to the contrary. And that’s just what she was going to do. Shame.

The edges of town were just before him now.

Time to work.

-

He snuck around the outpost to the side of the junktrader’s abode. Luckily, the back end of the shop faced the outside of town. He maneuvered through the dark, sensing any presences that might still be awake, and avoided them accordingly.

First step done. Now he saw the guard animal she had spoken about. It sniffed the air and immediately started growling. He stopped in his tracts.

What to do here? Hmm… out of his back of tricks, he would decide…

Force binding.

He extended his hand, and just as the mutt was about to bark wildly, the utterance got caught in its throat. The animal, ready to pounce, ready to strike against its chains, now suddenly couldn’t move. It struggled against this invisible grip, but to no avail.

Simple enough.

Kylo Ren catalogued the success, pressing a series of buttons that would alight on Rey’s end. Code for “Guard down.”

She wouldn’t copy back. She’d only reply if she had something to say.

Next up, the double doors.

Rey had shown him some simple lockpicking she had picked up from scavenging. Occasionally, she would enter a ship suspect with treasures behind locked doors. The kit had cost her an immense fortune, years’ worth of saving up for it to trade, having to go hungry some days to make it happen, but it had been worth it. It paid for itself back in a just a couple months.

But it was giving him trouble. Eventually, he just tried to feel for the door mechanism on the other side. After some twisting around, the locked door swung before him.

Beep beep to Rey. I’m in.

He entered the messiest stockroom area he had ever seen in his life. Surely they had some kind of system of management, but boy was it hard to not trip in the dark.

Now he needed to get to Plutt’s room, where he would keep the keys still on his person. Most likely.

There was a light though, shining from underneath the door from the hallway. Shadows of footsteps crossed it.

Hm, someone stirred. Ben reached out with his feelings. Whoever it was wasn’t Plutt. Probably just some lacky. He waited for them to pass.

Once the coast was clear, he advanced forward to the door. Ah yes, another lock. Should have seen that coming.

He brought out the thieves’ tool kit again. This time it would work. He was determined this time.

And voila, it did.

Sometimes he was just too good.

Opening the door into the hallway, he found it just as crowded with junk as the storage unit. God, how did they do any business here?

He expanded his consciousness then, looking for Plutt. Ben found him up to this 9 o’clock, higher up. There was no telling the exact directions through the building he would have to take to get there, but he’d get there when he’d get there.

A couple false turns, and he finally snaked his way up some stairs. Old food packets that _weren’t_ from portions laid across his pathway. Bugs swam around them. Disgusting. He was getting closer.

Finally, Plutt’s presence, just behind the door to the right on the second level. Would Plutt also lock his entryway at night? One way to find out.

Oh wow, he didn’t.

Wow Plutt, trusting guy you are.

Beep beep to Rey: At Plutt’s now.

Kylo Ren found Unkar splayed out on his bed, snoring. The smell was unbearable. Kylo almost puked right then, but he kept his composure. Plutt shifted in his sleep.

And there it was. The keys. They dangled from Plutt’s belt. He even wore them in his sleep. To be expected.

Kylo would use the Force then. He didn’t want to get any closer to the brute than he had to. Using his mind, Ren lifted the keys, straining to put acute pressure on the rings to break them. And do it quietly.

But then Plutt’s eyes shot wide open.

“Hoooooooo, I thought I smelled a rat.”

_Shit._

Kylo aimed to force sleep the Crolute back into submission, but strangely, nothing happened. Unkar laughed horribly,

“Those little tricks of yours won’t work twice, Kylo Ren.”

Ben froze in his shoes.

“What did you call me?”

“Oh, you think I’m stupid? Didn’t think I’d know when I’d been manipulated? I reported our little incident to the First Order, _Commander._ ”

Shit. Shit shit shit shit.

“-And funny enough,” Plutt continued, sitting up, “They were looking for someone who matched your exact description.”

It was time to go.

Kylo smashed the racketeer into the wall, crashing it in. No more time for subtly. He pulled the keys to his hands and started running.

Plutt yelled: “WE HAVE COMPANY, BOYS!”

-

Beep beep beep beep beep, went Rey’s commlink. Emergency. Emergency. Need immediate pick up.

Rey’s heart accelerated, as did her speeder; she was off before the device had finished its message.

“Ben, no,” she whispered under her breath.

-

The gig was up, Kylo mused; it was time to get serious.

He reached for his side, under his poncho, and what came back crackled with red fury.

Plutt’s firing squad unleashed a barrage of blasts upon him. But between his excellence with a lightsaber, and his brute use of the Force, Kylo hacked and slashed all Plutt’s boys to bits. They weren’t the problem here. The First Order was. And who knew when they would be arriving? Tonight? Tomorrow? In two minutes? He had to leave _now_.

Following the smell of the wrappers, and stepping over the fresh cadavers, Kylo soon found the office and hacked it open. The fiery metal bent beneath his swings, and he collapsed the doors into themselves.

The safe. Where was the safe?

Oddly enough, there wasn’t an obvious receptacle. He had expected a big iron box in the middle of the office to be where Plutt kept his most valued items and money. So where did he keep them?

Kylo raged, he didn’t have time to search every nook and cranny of this place, so he just surged.

Between his saber slicing every wall and surface, and his explosion in the Dark side, the entire room came crumbling down before him. It was not a quiet event. The wall to the outside was now splayed open for the whole world to see him. And that they did.

And the safe.

The safe tumbled out of the wall, originally built into it as a way to hide it. Now it was on the floor. And the whole village recognized him. And recognized what a container of precious items looked like.

And they were upon him.

-

Rey was finally at the boarder of the town. She’d crossed this route near every day of her teenager-to-adult life, but this trip was by far the most agonizingly take of it.

She could see a shockingly red light in the distance now. What was that? Wait, was that Ben swinging it around? She could see the whole village surrounding Plutt’s place.

Jesus Christ Ben, what did you do?

-

Kylo panicked. In a moment like an animal backed into a corner, he shot out a blaze of strength. The Force he shook out flew out everyone to their backs.

The safe. They wanted the safe. They wanted what was in the safe.

Okay, that was fine.

He shot the tip of the saber into the locking mechanism of the device. Then with another twist of Force, he wrenched it open with his mind.

It was like an explosion. Money. Actual money shot out of the safe and into the air. Along with food packs the villagers had never seen before, and a couple choice parts from Plutt’s dealings.

_His_ part!

Kylo called the navigational piece to his arms, and it retracted to him. The villagers, now back on their feet, were like dancing in the rain. The credits rained down upon them like a piñata had burst open. They all grabbed at what they could. It was utter chaos, and soon, punches were thrown, blasters were triggered; a mad frenzy.

By then, Plutt had made it downstairs with a bad leg.

“My credits!!!” he screamed into the night.

And then, Rey pulled up.

Kylo jumped to her speeder and immediately apologized, “I’m so sorry, I couldn’t get your—”

“LET’S GO,” she screamed, not even letting him finish his sentence.

And they sped away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One chapter left! Thank you so much for reading <3
> 
> Tumblr - KyloWithaZukoArc


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The First Order is coming, The First Order is coming!

“What the hell happened?” Rey spoke to him through the commlink, once they were plenty out of range from the insanity back in town.

“The First Order is coming.”

“What?!”

“The First Order is coming!” he yelled louder.

“I heard what you said! Why?”

“Plutt reported me to them.”

_Goddamn Plutt._ “How long before they get here?”

“I don’t know. But we—"

He couldn’t finish his thought, as it was cut off by an immense growl.

The sand beneath them was churning. Suddenly from beneath the depths came a deep, reverberating roar.

“ _Sandworm_!” she screamed.

A giant snake-like entity arose from underneath the dunes. No, it was the dune. It had just been buried. She curved her speeder sharply to the right just in time miss its mouth that shot up from the earth. But now it was chasing them, as if swimming through the desert.

Kylo carefully spun around on the fleeing vehicle to face the worm. He braced like he was riding a horse bareback.

“What are you doing?!” she yelled, feeling his hands leave her. She punched the engine to its brink of its power.

“No, slow down!” he called back.

“WHAT?!”

“Just do it!”

“You’re fucking insane, do you know that?!”

So she edged off the gas, and he readied himself. Readying for the perfect moment. The giant creature raced towards them, gaping like it could swallow them entirely in one go. It was about to.

Then Kylo jumped.

From off the back of the speeding scooter, he concentrated the Force to carry him high above the boneless jaws. Flying in the air, he swirled the energy around him and struck strong and mighty, piercing the red light straight into the monster’s brain. The worm’s muscles instinctively curled around, the dying synapses sending their last messages, the last contortions idly swinging. Pulling his saber out like Excalibur, he retreated back to the ground.

Rey had pulled around in a sharp u-turn. All she caught was the giant worm dying in its last spurts of death curls, and Ben, Ben with the crackling red weapon, standing to his feet. Uninjured.

She pumped the breaks nigh 20 feet away from him. She kept out of range of the monstrosity. The monstrosity here not being the worm.

She didn’t even comment on the bloody mass behind him. All she said was:

“That’s… a lightsaber… isn’t it?” she spoke out when the worm had twitched its final movement. Kylo hadn’t taken a step to her, sensing her fear long before she’d skirted to a halt. Not fear of the worm. Fear of him. She added, “Why is it red?”

Kylo had no answers for her. What could he say here, that he stole it? Stole it from the one known user currently in the universe who used such a weapon? Stole it from… a Sith?

“You…” Rey’s entire being felt like it was caving in. It all snapped together. His Force powers. His strength in fighting. His militaristic ways. His wealth. His confidence. The lightsaber. It was red. It was red. It was red.

He’d told her. He’d fucking told her. And she didn’t believe him.

She stomped on the gas; turning the handles to make another turn; she had to get out of there; she had to -

“Rey!” he called out to her, but she was already geared away; he knew where she lived, fuck, where would she go? How could she –

And then she was frozen. Her high speed suddenly stilled at once. It was the strangest feeling; there wasn’t even any whiplash, just a stop altogether. What was happening? Her speeder still revved like she should be over the next dune already. But no. She couldn’t move her own body. She could barely breathe.

“Rey… wait…,” Commander Kylo Ren of the First Order spoke to her over static. Every inch of her being was shaking; or it would have been shaking, if his Force grip had allowed it.

The vehicle was reversing now. She was being pulled back _to him_. She felt like she was going to have a heart attack. But Rey could only sit there, her machine still burning gas, hearing his voice through the link:

“I’m not going to hurt you; please just listen to me.” He was coming closer; rather, she was coming closer to him, and there was nothing he could do about it. The moments passed in cold fear. She could only watch helplessly as she neared him and his death giver. He continued through her earpiece:

“I’m no longer their leader. I defected. I killed Snoke and defected. That’s why I’m fleeing. Why I came here. Where they weren’t. But they’ll never stop looking for me…”

Suddenly her ride shot out from beneath her. He’d released his grasp on it, and it drove off, skidding over the desert until its inertia gave out. Kylo then let her down, to let her speak. She first took a gigantic breath, then,

“DON’T COME NEAR ME.”

“Rey, listen, I need you to understand –”

“You’re going to kill me.”

“I’m not going to kill you. Why would I let you down if I wanted to kill you?”

“I know too much!” she screamed at him.

And she did.

If the First Order found her, she’d no doubt be tortured for information. The villagers had seen her pick him up during all the insanity. They would turn her in without a second thought.

Shit. Her time here was over, too, just the same as his. And, as if something else was connecting their thoughts, they realized it simultaneously.

She started crying.

“Fuck… Fuck you, Kylo,” she uttered as her world crumbled before her, “Fuck you for coming here. I never would have helped you if I knew who... I never would have… You fucking slept with me? You fucking asshole, you fucking _slept with me_. ASSHOLE.” She was rambling in anger now.

“Please—” he desperately pleaded, “I’m not that man anymore. I’m Ben Solo. I’m—”

“ _I don’t care_ ,” she near screamed, “It’s ruined, Kylo. I can’t stay here anymore. I… They’ll destroy me if I stay. I _helped you_. I can’t get out of that.”

It was unraveling. And truthfully, even if she did stay, even if she was still on his side, even if they didn’t kill her, she would still be tortured for information on him. In no scenario would she be safe, or would he. The First Order knew he was here, and they would find out where he was heading…

There was only one option left.

“Come with me,” he said.

“Like hell I’m coming with you!”

“There’s no other way.”

“Fuck you.”

“I’ll drop you off at the nearest sector, okay?”

“ _Fuck you_.”

“God, Rey, we don’t have time for this. We—”

And a light shined across the sky. A sonic boom crossed through the atmosphere. Their attention immediately shot up to the heavens. High above, a Dreadnought had appeared. Manned, alive, fully functional. Death machine.

“ _Fucking shit._ ” And they had no choice, they ran over to her speeder, which still floated, engine idling, and they took off.

-

They rediscovered his TIE Fighter in a cave. She saw the corpses of strewn carnivorous beasts within it. Ah. So it had been occupied before he’d claimed it.

She just stood there as he ran into the ship with the part. Rey’s heart was pounding. A real, live TIE Fighter. Not one that had stood over in the desert for 30 years. Its paint job was still slick and shiny. Its wings large and terrible. No part of it missing. At least, soon that would be the case.

She could hear Kylo cursing from within the ship. Taking out the part had been relatively easy, but putting it back in? That was another process.

Hot, angry tears still sweltered her gaze. What the hell had she gotten herself into? What was happening? Even if she had _wanted_ to leave, she had not been able to pack anything, or say goodbye to one of the only homes she had known. She had her quarterstaff; he had the rations. Some other things. But that was it.

Kylo cussed again.

And she snapped out of it. They had to go. Despite her anger, they had to, if they were to live, if she was to live.

“Let me,” she yelled into the ship. Her entire life had centered around taking apart and putting back together Empire technology. She’d crack it in no time.

He happily handed it off to her. And she went to work. It was definitely still difficult without tools, but she would manage. It would just take a second.

Kylo, in the meantime, checked out the sky. The utter darkness of the night disallowed for spotting any of the glossed black deployments. He knew that they would be heading to Niima Outpost first. Luckily, none of the inhabitants knew exactly where Rey and him and fled to. But their first guess would definitely be her AT-AT. They would find that first…

“It’s in,” she said without fanfare.

And so, he crawled back in and cranked his fighter. He sat in the pilot’s seat, and she arose from the dashboard. Everything cut on without a hitch.

She couldn’t contain her wonder of it if she'd wanted to.

The lights, the sound of the motor, the holos that arose from its display. She’d never been inside of a ship that actually worked. This would also be her first time flying. So many firsts with Ben.

Another shot of anger punched out from that, but she held it in.

He wordlessly scoped out his options. In searching for “island,” “unoccupied,” “low priority,” soon they had a list of options before them. He scanned through them with haste.

She observed, just curious about how the OS worked. She hated the First Order, but this was pretty cool.

“I’ll go here,” he said, having pulled up a map of a planet that had no reports of intelligent life. Sentient, yes. There were animals. But there were no settlements, no technology. It was green though. It was very green.

Rey’s eyes sparkled at the snapshots. “I didn’t think there was this much green in the whole galaxy.”

He couldn’t help but smile at her small joy. “It’s pretty far from here. Nearly the either end of the galaxy…”

A beat passed. He spoke again: “So where do you want to go?”

Then it hit again.

They were separating.

She hated him so much right now. But a small part of her was still attached. He was the first “friend” she had ever had. Even if it was for such a short time. They had done so much together, it felt like she had crammed another life into the past two days. Despite everything, there was a hurt she couldn’t deny. And he felt it too.

She had to decide soon. There wasn’t much time before The First Order would get to them. But where could she possibly even start?

A city?

A small village?

An island?

The island.

_The island._

She took a double take at the holo before her.

“I…,” her mouth dropped. Something had felt so familiar when he’d brought it up the screen. But with the newness of everything already going on, she ignored it. But now, with her consideration…

“Can I say something insane?”

“Yeah?”

“I think I’ve seen this island before.”

He quizzically looked at her. Then it clicked.

“The one from your dreams?”

“Yes… I’ve seen it… over and over…”

It was a sign.

The gears in Ben’s brain turned rapidly. There was only one thing this could mean. Rey was Force sensitive.

Was that why they had formed such a connection so quickly – had it been it their ties to the Force interconnecting them? Why it had just clicked? Why, when they made their plans, it felt like their minds were halves of the same spirit? Why sometimes they didn’t even have to talk, and yet they would be on the same page?

He looked at her. Maybe.

But so, she’d had prophetic dreams like he had…

The dreams.

Their interwoven train of thought followed through to the same conclusion. They already knew what she was about to say before she said it.

“You… weren’t lying. Back then..." She breathed. "These kinds of dreams… They’re… real…”

“I’m so sorry.” His heart broke for her.

“My family…”

It hung in the air. She was about to cry again.

So he held her.

There was no time for this, but he held her.

She sobbed into his tunic. Her small convulsions cracked him open a little more and more with every hiccup. It just made him hold her even tighter.

She was completely depleted. The whiplash of the day. His revelations to her. The insanity of the outpost. They hadn’t even talked about that yet, god. And now this.

It was too much.

And yet.

And yet there was a sense of peace about it.

The hope that her parents would return, she had clung to it so fiercely. But only because that was the only possible chance for her to belong. For her to have love. For answers. For a chance of a life with affection and connection.

But as much as she defended it, she knew in her heart of hearts it wasn’t real.

It was just her only hope.

But now.

Now he was here. This wild stranger, this insane Force User, this defector, Ben Solo, Kylo Ren - whoever he was. He'd been delivered to her doorstep. It just worked. Like they had known each other for years. Like they had been connected all along. Like the Force had led them together. Like it had told him to come there. Like it had told her to help him.

Like it was supposed to be this way.

She kissed him.

She kissed him hard, and he in sync, received her, holding her face, even pressing her deeper into him. Yet another rush of emotion. From the chaos of even the past hour, it felt like years of highs and lows had been crammed into their brief time together. It was marvelous. It was stressful. It was everything it needed to be.

He broke the kiss.

“Come with me,” he said one more time.

Looking deeply into his eyes, she took his hand. With a sweetness in the drying of her tears, she nodded.

And he lifted the Fighter off the ground. With the piloting only being one seat, she sat contented on his lap. It was the speeder situation again, but this time, much closer.

She waved to Jakku as they gained height. Goodbye to her speeder, goodbye to her AT-AT, goodbye to Plutt, and Niima Outpost. Good riddance.

And yet, maybe with Plutt’s credits usurped, there was a chance things could change. She wouldn’t be around for it, but she hoped for it. Maybe she would return someday. Maybe they could turn things around. Someday.

He squeezed her again as they ran above the clouds, kicking on the cloaking device. He shot over to the next hemisphere, out of range of the Dreadnought, and then he punched in the coordinates.

“Ready?” he whispered into her ear.

She couldn’t help one last teardrop from her lashes. She took a deep breath, strapped into the seat with him.

“Ready.”

He kissed her cheek, and her hands sat on top of his for the controls. The mechanization whirled, the OS processed, and suddenly, the stars around them disappeared into a swirling haze of light and shadow.

It was happening. They were going. It was a brand new chapter. With this insane man at her side.

She sunk into his chest, watching the world pass by them.

And couldn’t be happier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY ENDING YALL I love you, thanks so much for sticking around to read til the end!
> 
> More happy Reylo goodness can be found on this AO3 account and on my tumblr @KyloWithaZukoArc
> 
> Thanks again <333

**Author's Note:**

> Hehe.
> 
> #bensolodeservedbetter
> 
> Subscribe for more Kylo/Rey content.  
> @KyloWithaZukoArc on tumblr


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